With the temperature finally warming up and the days extending their borders, we often start paying attention to our skin and seek to protect it from the sun.

We know that exposure to ultraviolet light can cause skin cancer and speed up ageing, and we are all reaching for sun protection, but are there other ways to slow the ageing process?

Conventional medicine says that wrinkles are a natural part of ageing. I will leave my sister, Dr Hill, to guide you on how to look after your skin from the outside. But first, let me shed some light on the foods that help more youthful-looking skin.

Your skin needs adequate nutrients to maintain elasticity, smoothness and overall health.

Let us take a look at what these are:

Omega-3 fatty acids: best found in oily fish, these play a significant role in regulating systemic inflammation and are demonstrated to inhibit inflammation of the skin.

Vitamin B5: Found in virtually all kinds of real food (as opposed to processed), it supports wound healing, promotes skin cell growth, and acts as an antioxidant.

Selenium: best found in eggs, seafood or Brazil nuts, this is an essential component of an enzyme that supports one of the body’s major antioxidant glutathione.

Silica: found in green beans and bananas, a deficiency in this results in poorly formed collagen, and we all know collagen is essential to maintain tight, wrinkle-free skin.

Sulphur: found in meat, onions and garlic, is also essential for collagen production. So sulphur is important in that antioxidant process too.

Vitamin E: found in almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts and fish, is secreted onto the skin’s surface; it is an important protective factor and acts as a potent antioxidant.

Vitamin K2: Found in full-fat dairy, prevents calcification of the skin’s elastin – a protein that gives the skins ability to spring back.

Vitamin C: found in fruit and veg, a potent antioxidant.

In short:

-Avoid highly processed foods that increase damage and drive oxidative stress.

-Eat colourful fruits and vegetable, aiming at 70% of your diet being plant-based.

-Eat good quality grass-fed meat, full-fat dairy and eggs.

-Eat small but frequent amounts of fermented food.

-Snack on nuts and seeds.

-Include 3-4 portions of responsibly sourced oily fish a week.

And finally, don’t forget the immense healing power of adequate sleep and rest.